Meeting Mike and Other Stories
by ElementsOfSapphire
Summary: A few fluffy short stories based on The New Avengers trio; heavily leaning on Purdey and Gambit though, I'm afraid! They're probably more K rating than T, but I just wanted to play safe! New short story has been added, guys! Please check it out :D (Thanks :D)
1. Meeting Mike

Meeting Mike

(Story One)

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

My Extra Notes: So after a long time of my friends trying to convince me to put some of my (rather shameful) writings out for more to read, I have finally done so! These first few stories will be short as it is just me getting a taste for using the site, but please, comment still! I'm on a mission to help grow the amount of TNA fanfics available, and I would like to thank TheBatKid for persuading me to join and Timeless A-peel for their extreme TNA knowledge and guides! Please enjoy the story :D

* * *

"And for you, Miss, ah..." The elderly fellow glanced down at the sheet which lay in his grasp. Sorting out new agents was always a rather tedious task; security, suitability, fitness et cetera and now the day was winding down, this poor chap would rather be turning into sheets than turning pages. "Ah! Miss Purdey, you've been assigned to work with Mr Steed; he reckoned you looked promising, good luck my dear!"

"Working with Steed? What, the John Steed?" Purdey simply had to stumble back a few steps. To work with Steed, that's what all the trainees had been dreaming, and now he'd asked her to work for him? She knew her ballet days and her late father's skills should have paid off in some respect, but to work with Steed for her first assignment, that was almost crazy! "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow; you're to meet in the gym at six o'clock- he's told me strictly to remind you not to be late, so you won't be, will you?"

"I won't!" she promised, darting off down the hall as fast as she could. She just had to tell her mother the fantastic news before the evening was gone.

* * *

Purdey folded the belt of her gown as she inhaled as deeply as she could. Gym clothes- check; hair and makeup immaculate- check; Papers- check. She was ready to push through the blue swinging doors and meet THE Steed for the first time. Apprehension toyed with her stomach as she felt the butterflies fluttering like crazy. 'This is insane' she thought to herself, 'how ever will I cope on the field if I'm nervous for meeting a comrade? Ridiculous girl!' She simply had to gather herself together, and thrusting her fist forward, she pushed the doors open as heavily as she could.

"Owh!" yelped a rather surprised, painful cry. Purdey's stomach churned in fear at the prospect of knocking out Steed before she'd even met him. The figure lay on the floor, clutching his knees in a sort of foetal position to aid the pain. She tried to help the man, rolling him to his back and placing his head on her lap.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Steed; I had n-" but there was little time for sympathy for the man was up again, and had thrown her with one small movement to the floor. She pushed a few locks of the golden brown hair behind her ear, then leapt back up and forward, smacking the offender with a rather nasty foot-face high-five. He frowned and then stuck his leg out, sending her flying across the room; but it was as she went to retaliate, she noticed that the man she was fighting looked impossibly young to be Steed, he'd be, what- 50, but this fellow was maximum, 30.

"You're not Steed, are you?" She questioned, glaring the chap in the eyes.

"No, I'm Gambit; but who on earth are you?"

"Purdey, Steed sent for me, wanted to give me a trial; so perhaps you could tell me where he is?" she huffed as she stood back on her feet, adjusting her gown so that it hung as she liked. Her hair, now not as perfect as she'd hoped for when meeting Steed, had lost quite a few curls and was a little moist from the exercise; she sighed in disgust.

"You can't be. He said to expect a trained panache fighter; handy with a gun and smooth physique... but you're a girl!"

"Do you have something about girls, Mr Gambit?" bellowed a voice from the other side of the room. Steed stepped through a swinging door, lifting his hat slightly to suggest a greeting to Purdey; she beamed back.

"Oh, no, of course not Steed... I just expected someone a bit more... rugged."

"Well you'd better get used to her, Gambit. After watching that fight it's quite possible she'll be working with us regularly. You're quite a girl, Purdey, I have faith in you, so don't let me down?"

"Oh, no, of course not Mr Steed." she assured, watching as the broad-shouldered man pushed his way through to the following room. Mike and Purdey looked at each other; they knew to follow Steed, but both shared the same thought- apologies.

"I'm sorry about a moment ago, it was wrong of me to presume." Mumbled Mike, feeling rather horrid and remarkably less gentle-man like than he usually did. "I'm Mike Gambit, it's err, a pleasure to meet you."

"Purdey, just Purdey." She smiled back, taking his hand in hers and shaking it solemnly. She didn't want to leave Steed waiting, so bounced to follow the man, following his footsteps with an essence of grace and joy that couldn't help but make Mike grin to himself. She seemed so dainty, so pretty, so elegant; this wasn't the job for her, she should be on show- a ballerina perhaps. She was too sweet to be throwing herself around as a moving target. Maybe she was made of harder stuff, but she was hiding it well.

* * *

Purdey looked into the bathroom mirror; a face she wanted to forget looked back at her, a worn face. She was hurt, but she needed to forget all that and become someone new; after all, that was why she joined this job. She looked at herself before lifting the scissors so they were level with her face. Her heart beating fast and her hands shaking merrily, she prepared herself for the first movement, the first sign that she was beginning a new leaf... and hopefully for the last time.

"Purdey? Can I come in, only for a minute?" Gambit knocked on the wooden door, leaning close to hear her response. She could see no harm in it, so hastily pushed the damp tears from her cheeks, placing the shears down and unlocked the door. "You looked a little sad, I wondered if you wanted to talk it out, I mean, I barely know you but everyone's first shot at a man is hard and I-"

He saw the scissors on the sideboard and his mind began to race with all possible disillusions, their long, sharp blades gleaming back at him.

"I'm cutting my hair." She reassured him, seeing his woeful glance. "It needs to be changed."

"Whatever for? It's beautiful; I love long hair, it suits you... mind, I'm probably not wrong in thinking any hair cut would suit you. You have lovely eyes..."

"It just needs to be changed. I can't tell you why, it just needs to, Ok?" she snapped, pulling herself urgently away from his kindly words. She couldn't have him speak nicely to her, even if he was just being friendly; she was too raw still, too afraid. Mike, stumped, was a little unsure how to react; he had no idea what he had said wrong. Perhaps he should have asked, but he didn't want to prise too far into his new colleague's life, so simply shook his head and tried his best to smile genuinely.

"Do you need a hand? I'm not too bad at hair dressing, you know. "

Purdey was thankful that the poor chap hadn't been too disheartened by her bitter reply. She nodded and passed him the silver, glinting blades. Mike took time cutting the first section, pausing mid cut to make sure she regretted nothing. He didn't want to hurt Purdey, and so guided the blades round using his hand to guard them away from her skin. His breath was warm on her neck; it felt soothing, it felt, well, safe almost.

"I'll tell you why one day, just not today..." she breathed quietly, to which Gambit mentally grinned slightly. He was happy to have not upset the girl; he wasn't quite sure why, but simply continued to cut her hair gently, not letting her know quite how worried he'd felt. "You're a nice guy, Mike. I like you."

"Care to prove it?" He jested, as he saw the girl warming and relaxing to the moment. If she trusted him enough to cut her hair, surely she could trust him to remain a gentleman too.

"Mike Gambit, one of these days..."

"I know" he winked, "I'm looking forward to it... now, above the shoulders or very short?"

"Surprise me" she suggested, "Just nothing ridiculous?"

"I won't." He promised. "You can trust me."

* * *

Notes: And so concludes my very first FanFic post- awwh! Hope you guys vaguely enjoyed it, and if so, you're in luck because I hope to start posting regularly!


	2. Three Shots

Three Shots

(Story 2)

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

Extra Notes: This story was one of my first, hence its probably a little bit of a fail on the dramatic side of things... However, it sort of shows my favouritism for Purdey and Gambit.

* * *

"Gambit," hissed Purdey, as quiet as she could. They were knelt side by side, the right side of Purdey's sofa to protect them from any initial blows. Her curtains were pulled tight, the door bolted with a chair wedged against it for extra support. They knew not to turn the lights on, it was too dangerous, and so they crouched in the darkness of a miserable November afternoon. He nodded to show that he'd heard her soft voice, leaning closer so she could continue in an even lower tone. "I'm so scared,"

Mike placed his arm around her silently, pulling her in to his warmth and passing the gun to his other hand. For her to admit to being scared frightened Gambit too; Purdey wasn't the sort of girl to go around admitting her fears every day. But then again, she had every right to be afraid; the people attacking them weren't just attacking her home, but her safety, too.

And they had Steed.

"Come on," he whispered, in a vague attempt of comforting, knowing he wouldn't have much luck. "There's only what, 3 of them including Steed. We're experts in this field, have faith in yourself, we can take these down. Two shots and we've got Steed back; I'm sure he'll let us stay at the Stud Farm until we can find you somewhere new to live. Failing, you can always stay at mine and you know that... so come on, how many shots have you got?"

Purdey lifted her gun to reveal a full magazine; Gambit did the same, feeling Purdey relax slightly as he did. "I'll take a look, shall I?" he breathed, slowly shuffling sideways towards the window and pealing the blind up a fraction. He saw the three men; one at the top with Steed in his grasp and another by the door. "I think we can get one from here." He announced, as Purdey made her way over to join him. "Should I try?" he asked and she nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder to re-assure him that she was there and ready to assist at any point. He lined the barrel up with the edge of the window, steadying his breathing so the shot wouldn't divert too far.

"On three, lift the frame as fast as you can, right? One, two... three!"

Purdey pushed the window frame as hard as she could, sending it flying upwards. Mike took the shot, (well, several), and watched as the man on their doorstep fell to the floor in a matter of seconds. The other chap holding Steed threw his hostage to the side, running in blind panic; but Mike and Purdey were both efficient and fast, and were up the stairs and following him almost immediately. Mike tailed him up the dead street as Purdey poised herself to shoot. Her hands were sweaty, her clutch slipping, yet she still shot, missing Mike and hitting the other chap savagely. He too, fell to the floor. The woman would have been content to collapse in her spot in sheer relief, but instead walked to pay attention to Steed as Gambit jogged to be once again beside her.

"Steed!" she grinned, throwing her arms around him as Mike simply watched with a small grin on his face. He wasn't smiling at Steed, but Purdey, who hadn't quite noticed yet... Eventually, after a few more seconds, she realised that John's expression hadn't changed, and turned to glare at Mike. "He's been drugged, hasn't he? He can't hear a word I'm saying, can he?" Gambit shook his head, as Purdey sighed in a combination of embarrassment and a slight notion of irritation towards herself. "I'll take him to the car, shall I?"

The pair manoeuvred their comrade to Gambit's rather swish 4x4, pulling back the seats and laying him gently in the back. There he stayed, smiling insanely and looking ever so ready for a rather long sleep.

"You should probably get some night clothes; I'll come back with you tomorrow to box the rest." Mike suggested as he saw the woman glancing over her shoulder and back to the carnage she called 'home'.

"Yeah..." she sighed, advancing back towards her flat, key in hand. She didn't notice the man sat in her car, nor the gun in his hand, nor that it was pointed directly towards her. The gun clicked as it was cocked, to the noise of which, Gambit came alert. He saw the car, the man, the gun, and pelted to a position to take a shot. Yet, as he remembered a little too late, he had no shells left. If he wanted to save Purdey, there was only one option left. Calling to her would only speed the whole process up as the man would panic and shoot early; he'd be seen in the wing mirrors if he tried to attack that way. Yep, there definitely only was one option...

"PURDEY!" he screamed, seeing the man lining up the shot. He ran, faster than he knew he could, and without thinking divided to be on top of the girl. He threw his weapon through the car windscreen as he fell, and fortunately, knocked the other fellow out.

"Mike?" breathed Purdey, pulling herself from underneath him. "Crap, Mike, get up, I've been shot!" She looked down to see her paisley dress smeared with some form of deep crimson, and jumped to her feet to examine herself properly. There were no holes, no cuts, no pain (except from where his crushing weight had fallen on top of her). If she wasn't hurt then... Her heart began to beat in her mouth as the sickening thought crept into her imagination.

"Mike..." he didn't respond, not at all, so she called again, pushing him gently onto his side and resting his head on her lap as she did.

His eyes fluttered open, but she didn't look at that. Instead she studied the large, red wound in his right shoulder. "Stay here." She stammered, rushing off to phone for an ambulance. On her return, she noticed Mike was looking weaker than she'd left him and her body yelped in pain. She knelt beside him, taking his hand in hers and applying pressure around the hole to prevent it from bleeding much more.

"You'd make a good nurse." He wheezed through deepening breaths. She smiled, leaning down and delicately kissing the shot; he winced with the pain slightly, but grinned as well as he could. In any other circumstance, he would have attempted to pull her closer, but he was too weak, and was happy to think of it purely as a friendly gesture. "You missed" he joked, his voice quieter still, but finding the energy to pout slightly. It hurt to laugh, but at the sight of Purdey bursting into a giggle fit at his ridiculous face, he simply had too.

"Mike Gambit, one of these days..."

"I know," he smiled weakly; "I'm looking forward to it." Purdey smiled back at him again to prolong time as she thought. If he was critically ill, which he looked, perhaps –maybe- she should tell him what she truly thought of him, how she truly had been feeling those past 3 years- no doubt he'd make himself live on when he knew that; but on the other hand, perhaps not, it could make things awkward in the future... So, she decided to compromise, taking his previous statement into accountant, and kissing his jokingly-pouted lips instead. She felt his hand tightening in hers as she approached, but then loosening again as he realised what she was doing. The siren of an ambulance broke the pair apart as Purdey turned to see the vehicle- plus a doctors car (having warned McKay about Steed too whilst on the phone), dashing towards them. She beamed back towards Mike, about to announce that help was on the way, but she saw him; eyes closed and barely moving now.

"MIKE?!" she shook his shoulders in desperation, but there was no response. Her hand glided softly through his hair, but he still didn't move. Her mind began to sway, her body cold with fear more than it had ever been before. "Save him!" she screamed at the people running towards her, each holding one end of a stretcher. "Save him!"

She watched as a man bent down. The man looked at him. The man looked at her.

The man shook his head.

Purdey screamed.

They rushed him to the ambulance anyway, but Purdey couldn't move; she was stuck, bent over and sobbing heartily. A woman knelt to be beside her, trying in vain attempt to comfort her, much as Gambit had only ten minutes ago.

"They'll try, miss..."

"But it's not very likely." Purdey finished in the gaps between the tears, never taking her eyes from the blood stain on the paved floor. She knew the job was dangerous, it was bound to take one of them soon, but he'd taken his life to save hers; _he_ shouldn't have died. He did it for reasons she still couldn't work out. His last words to her were 'I'm looking forward to it' and that stung her like a thousand thistles... He shouldn't have been taken whilst still a wishing man; she was mentally kicking herself, scolding her mind for making the wrong decisions all this time, for letting fear consume her. She'd have been safe around Mike, but only now did she know the extents he would have gone to protect her. "Please..." she breathed to the woman after a while, "take me to where he's going; I need to be there when he wakes up... If he wakes up... I have to tell him something."

* * *

"Purdey?" questioned Mike, still half asleep from the large amounts of pain killers he was currently under the influence of. He saw the woman, dazed and tired on the chair beside him, her feet tucked under, her coat pulled over like a duvet. She looked beautiful, as always, but no doubt she had been without sleep for some time and by the state of her hair, without a proper wash too. Hearing his voice, she jolted awake, letting her eyes fall upon his figure as though they were bright, glistening, sapphires. She toyed with her knotted, but thankfully short, hair in some attempt to look presentable before leaning forward to take his hand so he knew for sure that she was there. "Purdey!" This time he sounded more alert, and Purdey couldn't help but to sigh with relief.

"Hello, Mr Gambit. Fancied joining us again, did we?"

"Where have I been?" he quizzed, squinting at the pain as he tried to get up, but deciding that perhaps remaining laying down would be the best decision anyway...

"A very deep sleep" she smiled, wiping some of the drool from his face with a small smile on her own.

"How long for?"

"Five days." Purdey replied sympathetically. Mike consulted his watch, which he was surprised to find was still on his wrist. No doubt Purdey would have taken it when the doctors had probably attempted to, and then replaced it when she had the chance- he knew she was a good egg. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder if... no, she wouldn't have spent five days lodged in that chair; that would be insane, surely?

"How long have you been here?" he inquired, curiosity eating him alive.

"Five days, twenty minutes and about thirty five seconds; hence I presume I'm probably not looking my presentable self, am I?"

"No no, I like that look," he shot back, wincing slightly as a shard of pain jabbed again at his shoulder. "The sort of 'my-shower's-stopped-working-and-I've-been-living- in-a-box-for-the-past-week' look; it suits you, but then, anything would suit you. Except being bald, perhaps."

"Mike Gambit, one of these da..."

No. She'd told herself those five days ago, there was no more using 'one of these days'. She needed to be strong, be brave...

"Come here you big dog!" she exclaimed, leaning across the bed and hugging him as tight as she dared, but not too strong to hurt him. "When you're all fixed up, we'll discuss it." She announced as she got up from her seat on the chair, and sat beside Mike on the bed where he beckoned.

"Really?" he mused in disbelief.

"Well, it's about time we decided _that_ day, isn't it? When you're better, you can cook me dinner or something and we'll talk it through, ok? Or I'm sure if all goes well we won't just talk, will we?" she paused before looking down once again at Mike. "I'm going to get food, probably marshmallows, I haven't eaten in a while"-three days since her mother popped in to visit with sandwiches to be exact- "want anything?"

"For you to come straight back? No, I'm joking; tuna sandwich please, but make sure it's vegetarian" Purdey scowled at Gambit's preposterous request. He giggled lightly but stopped when the pain began to kick in again. "Go have food, I get mine brought to me, remember? I'll save you a spot here for when you get back."

"Alright." She smiled, getting up to walk off again. "If you're feeling good enough to joke, perhaps we can talk about things when we get back; you know?"

"I know." He called after her, as she floated off down the hall, "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

Notes: So this one is a little bit fluffy and exposes my belief concerning the whole Purdey/Gambit Vs. Purdey/Steed debate. (I can grumble about that for hours!)

Thanks for reading :')


	3. Can't You Understand Her, Mike?

Can't You Understand Her, Mike?

(Story 3)

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

Extra Notes: So this is one of my newer pieces; again focusing on Purdey and Gambit- but there is another full-length story to be posted soon (with more Steed in!) Personally, I'm against the idea of there ever being another someone called in to join the wonderful trio, but this sort of tells the tale of what could happen if the situation was to occur, if suddenly more assistance was deemed necessary. Enjoy :)

* * *

She never thought she would feel like that; the aching groans of jealousy racking her every muscle, torturing her heart as though bitten by some venomous snake. It reverberated within her, never seizing for a moments rest, never allowing the woman to breathe as she wished. It was suffocating and tight, making her feel as though she was suffering from the most sincere form of claustrophobia to be recorded. It was as though her respiratory system was failing her; her heart had forgotten how to function.

She'd known for some time that even with Gambit there to tag along, Steed was bound to need another hand to help out on the field; he was getting old now all said and done, but he was still only in his fifties, and as far as she was concerned, far too fit to be seeking further assistance yet. Perhaps she never would have minded if the 'help' had been named Trevor instead of Tessa, but that wasn't the way it was. Steed had chosen the most promising young, aspiring agent, and by chance it should be a woman.

But it wasn't _her_ that Purdey was jealous of; it wasn't the hair that was similar to what she'd once had, bellowing and soft around the face. It wasn't the fact Tessa was just as lithe as her but three years younger, nor was it how similar they dressed. No, that was all impartial to Purdey, she couldn't possibly care less. No, that wasn't it.

It was simply the way Mike Gambit regarded this woman with such infatuation. It was the fact Purdey had realised for the first time, she wasn't so special to the man.

Steed hadn't seemed too interested in the new, younger woman; no doubt he had the same level of intrigue he had when Purdey herself had began, but he took the trouble not to show it. Instead, he simply guided Tessa slowly along the ropes; first introducing her to the new colleagues, then the Ministry, then of course, the Stud Farm. Gambit however, had taken a particular willing to show the new comrade the more intimate regulations of the previous trio. The inside jokes were no longer inside; the special karate moves he'd only taught _her_ were now common with Tessa, and most irritatingly, the Purdka had been introduced as the new woman's regular tipple.

Purdey had kept it in her best efforts those past few months to keep Tessa from her one final piece of privacy; her home. They'd shared many rendezvous at Steed's; more than their fair share at Gambit's, even one or two at Tessa's flat... but Purdey's abode? No, that would remain as the original trio's meeting place; for her, Steed and Gambit only. Yet since Tessa had arrived, that'd only happened once, and by chance- both colleagues dropping off notes and leaving again, not stopping for a drink; both leaving to go to the same restaurant, to share the same dinner, with _her. _

Purdey was sat alone in her flat having decided not to join them, despite the invite to the meal; she wouldn't go to Steed's party, either. She could never tell Steed how she felt; he'd think she was being ridiculous, immature perhaps. And Mike- she could never possibly even dream of telling him, not since he'd had to adjust to _her_ joining in the first place, let alone yet another woman. Although as far as Purdey could tell, the new addition was more than welcome into the world of Mike Gambit.

Purdey wasn't an idiot, nor starry-eyed enough to believe Gambit had restrained himself from women since they'd met; she'd seen him once or twice and over heard the odd phone call; but something had always been wrong about the relationships. Either they ended rather promptly, or the women would get suspicious of their partners unknown career, but they never seemed to stick around long which ever was the truth. But with Tessa- this was something new. Until this woman, Purdey had been his only regular feminine visitor, the only one he set little competitions with or escape from boring board meetings with. But now, as the months passed and the assignments became more frequent, Purdey was the one being left in those atrocious meetings with Steed; both Mike and Tessa having escaped to some other part of the Ministry or the Farm. She didn't know if he was aware of what he was doing to her, however, she did know it hurt like hell.

Street lights from the path above her basement flat provided all the light she required that eve. It was gone eleven, and the cold November wind whistled quietly, punctuated by the odd cacophonous roars shared between mingling alley cats as they fought the night away. Purdey wasn't listening to that, nor paying much attention to the dwindling night; instead she focused on her thoughts and the heavy base as her heart attempted to beat some regular pattern. Her little purple gun lay strewn on the coffee table having been neglected of use for quite some time; Tessa had seen to that. True, Purdey could still out-kick a mule, and coincidently, the new comrade too, but Tessa was well aware the gun fired faster, and was only too pleased to show her capability against Purdey. She shoved the weapon from her table, letting it land with a thunderous clonk to disturb the night's peace. At the same time as falling off the table, the gun had taken a dark oak photo frame with it, which Purdey bent down to collect a few moments later.

She studied the picture, hand on her temple. On the reverse was written 'Mike's 35th 1978' and on the front was a photo of the happiest couple imaginable. True, they were not technically dating, but to anyone who didn't know them, by the photo alone they would guess as much. Only a few months old, it showed Purdey with an apparently 'uncomfortable' arm around Mike's waist as he mirrored the action; and it is said 'apparently' as the picture tells another story... Both the models wore grins that could challenge any excited child at Christmas as they stared into each other's eyes like only the closest friends would feel comfortable to do so.

Purdey sat mesmerised by the photo for a fair few minutes. She remembered how happy that day had been, just the three of them; Steed hadn't even mentioned Tessa. Yet, the day in question felt so long ago now; it had only been, what, five months, but it felt like a decade since she'd shared a day with Mike (and with Steed for that) and she could feel the resentment beginning to grow once more. She noted how happy they appeared to be, how content they had been with just the two of them, how long it had been since they'd had a chance do that; how Tessa had ruined everything...

Suddenly the photo was no longer in her hand again, but being launched towards the barre with some aggression. The silence of that evening was broken by her sudden shouting outburst, crying with a combination of sadness and aggression as her eyes traced the object through the silhouette of the night.

"You're no better than Larry!" she exclaimed to the quiet room, not noticing her front door as it slowly began to peel open. "You're no better! I should have known shouldn't I? Why are you doing this to me Mike, I never said I loved you, but you should have known!"

As the final word tottered loudly from her mouth and the frame shattered to the floor, her ears were met by the soft sound of her door clunking shut. She swivelled suddenly in the chair, yanking her neck back hurriedly to check on the new intruder.

The figure stood rigid; tall and slim but no doubt well built and baring a full crop of hair. The dim light of the room could only just illuminate their facial components, but Purdey could note the strong jaw line and the smooth dent in their upper lip. She had no question in her mind who it was; she just wished, for the first time that day, they weren't there.

The pair stayed as they were, respecting the incredibly awkward atmosphere that had developed as the woman turned back around once more. He hadn't seen the photo; how could he in the dark? But he had a fairly good idea which one it had been, and why she had launched as she did. He didn't know he was going to walk in on quite a moment, let alone did he know Purdey was to have one, but he was aware backing away now would look equally as foolish; so he simply stood there, rooted to the spot.

"How much did you hear?" inquired Purdey after awhile. Her voice was soft, but tinged with hatred as she spoke to the blackened room. She failed to turn round, her eyes remaining fixed in the opposite direction to the man.

"From 'you're no better than', and by which I presume you meant Larry." came the reply, equally as quiet and unsure as the previous question.

"I did." She hissed indignantly through deep, involuntary sniffs "your point?"

Mike didn't have a point; he was just gathering evidence and finding conclusions, like they always did, as agents. He remained in a solider like position for a few seconds more, before advancing one step, still recovering from the shock of what he'd heard.

"Do you want to talk?" Mike breathed as his foot landed with a quiet thud, concerned for Purdey.

"No!" she shot back, hearing the floor creak as he advanced forward and not wanting to see his face once more. "I think you should leave, don't you?"

"Purdey, what's wrong? What have I done?"

"Why don't you ask _her?_" Purdey murmured from somewhere on the sofa. Her accusation ran straight through the man, her words tingling with his every thought. No doubt he had a clue who she meant... but why she meant it, he knew even better.

"Who, Tessa?" he asked to settle his fears, "Is that what this is all about?"

"Is _what_ all about, Gambit?"

"Oh I think you know, don't you?" Mike wandered towards the sofa, pacing his way across in the darkness of the night. She had no effort left to dissuade him from the act; so long as she didn't have to set eyes on the man, her emotions were too worn to care much more. Purdey had no idea what the jealousy which seethed within her would lead her do; she had never felt this way before, not even with the monstrous Larry. But then again, they had been engaged, everything was official there; she was well aware how idiotic she must have seemed to be; angry with a man she could only call a friend...

"Do I, or are you speaking for yourself?" she spat back, not tearing her vision away from her apparently intriguing footwear.

"No, you do," he replied, sitting on the opposing sofa, staring into her darkened fringe, "Why didn't you come to the meal tonight, Purdey? Why don't you come to optional meetings like you used to, why don't you come dancing any more? There's a reason, isn't there? And there has been since July, you can't deny."

"Oh, you're so decisive, aren't you?"

"So I'm right? And I bet I'm correct in making the link with it being Tessa, right?" He waited for her reply, but nothing came, so he tried again. "Right?"

"Yes!" she called back, her sudden increase in volume surprising him considerably. Purdey, as she regretted immediately, looked up to allow her deep, sea-coloured pools to meet Mike's own eyes. He noticed how raw they seemed, how bitter they glared back at him. This was not the Purdey he'd grown to love; this was one he'd seen the creation of the past months, and for the first time with the woman since they'd met, he genuinely felt afraid of her. "And, Mr Intelligent, no doubt you have an incredibly suave comment as to why, too."

"No," he mumbled, taken back by the new person he was faced with.

"Oh, but by the way you came bursting in here... I would say you did."

"I didn't bur..."

"Answer the question!" Purdey snapped, her eyes glaring and her mouth thin with anger. Mike felt intimidated to do anything but answer; but what if he'd interpreted everything wrong; he was a capable man, but he'd only ever seen Purdey strike when she was calm and collective; he feared her strength in her current state.

"You're jealous of her because of us..."

"And by that, I presume that's you recognising how you've been completely forgetting about me for your latest chase? Interesting is she?"

"You never showed any 'interest', did you?" Mike snarled, fighting his corner beside his fear. Why was she accusing of something that not only was he innocent of, but also she had no right to be angry with?

"I thought you understood! That's what you said, wasn't it: 'a man would never up and leave a woman if he cared'... what the heck do you think you've done?"

"Nothing!" he shouted, losing his temper through confusion. Purdey shot him a warning look, her face telling him not to even bother trying to out-shout her. He bit his lip, drawing blood but containing the will to shout out. If not for her, he'd spare her neighbour's sleeping time. "I didn't have anything to leave, did I? The first time you've ever confessed you loved me that I heard of was just now... How am I doing anything wrong?"

"By losing all intrigue with me and swapping it to my replacement; I thought you _liked _me, Mike."

Finally, the hammer hit home for Gambit; the loud clunk as it hit the right part of his brain shot around him like ingenious molten rock. She wasn't jealous of Tessa, not so much; she was jealous that he was trying to help the woman settle in. He managed to siphon his revelation into a calming sensation, using which he tugged at the lamp's cord and smiled, only slightly, but still smiled. He found that in the new light Purdey wasn't half as frightening as she had seemed in the dark of the night; the anger in her eyes had become tinted with worry and her thin, bitten lips no longer appeared aggressive, but vulnerable somehow. The light was showing a new situation, and he preferred it endlessly.

"You think I've swapped you?" he inquired, more sensitive than before, having spent time to think over his little stroke of genius.

"Yes" she replied quieter this time, realising that the new brightness meant she was more exposed, and hence felt considerably less confident.

"Why?"

"Oh I wonder!" Purdey scoffed, managing to actually look at him this time, before collapsing once more onto her temples. Mike thought perhaps the pause was simply giving her time to think of an explanation, but he was wrong. Instead, she just continued through her hands: "I really think its best you leave now"

"No," he said as sweetly as he could, leaning over to place a hand on her shoulder, "why?" He was surprised that she didn't immediately pull away from his touch; it took her longer than he suspected. _A good sign,_ he hoped. "Come on, Purdey-girl, at least let me know what I've done."

"Well it's what you _haven't _done, actually..." she replied, an ounce of venom still lingering in her voice, "Miss Perfect not-going-to-put-a-fight-up comes along and suddenly irritating, damaged Purdey doesn't matter. Don't think I haven't noticed how I've gone from one or two evenings alone a week to seven..."

"No one can simply swan in and replace you, and you're not damaged, just hurt" Mike couldn't believe what he was responding to; not only did Purdey think he'd been neglecting her (when actually he'd been inviting her everywhere all the same) but she also seemed to be confessing to her softer side; the more vulnerable Purdey only a select few had ever seen. "I've just been trying to settle her in, that's all." He spoke softly, realising that Tessa was becoming a softer and softer topic.

"Oh right, I'm sure. 'Come along, Tessa; here's the Ministry, here's our private jokes, here's my bed', was that it?" Purdey snorted, changing her eye line from the palms of her sweating hands to the previously 'entertaining' opposite wall.

"Who the heck told you we were dating?!"

"It became pretty obvious, Mike; but then again, it's nothing to do with me..."

"We're not dating!" he shot back indignantly, partially annoyed at the implication.

"Oh, like I'm supposed to believe that; Mike gambit I've seen you with endless girls and you've never treated any of them like her before; so don't try and palm me off, I know you Gambit." Purdey's voice, to what Gambit could tell, began to lose its edge by the final line of her statement; perhaps she was giving up... perhaps she was losing her will to argue..."I suppose you just care about her..."

_WHAT?!_

"Care!" he replied, exasperated, rising from his chair to pace through his anger. There was no point raising his voice; not only was it proving to be useless, but somehow no matter how frustrated he was with Purdey, he could never seem to shout for long. It never felt... right. "Dammit Purdey, why do you think I came this evening. If I liked her like that, wouldn't I be at hers trying to lure her right now? But am I? No; I chose to come here to try and fathom what's wrong... Purdey, it doesn't matter what's happened since my birthday; it still stands as you being my best friend- nothing more, nothing less." He paused to study the ground, shifting his feet awkwardly on the pale, cream rug. "In fact, in that respect you have no right to be jealous."

"You know how I feel about _us; _you've had four years to work that one out." It wasn't so much an accusation again, as it was a statement; something clearly Purdey thought Mike had had enough time to configure for himself. Maybe to her the flirting and jokes and playful fights were stronger hints to her emotions, but to Gambit, they'd only ever been pulling-strings, cut every time he thought he'd figured something out.

"I have no idea where we stand, Purdey-girl; only where I hoped we would someday..."

"You've never asked me if I wanted more though, have you." she added in, not waiting for him to finish, the truth beginning to flood from her with a mixture of relief and desperation. "What if I told you that night before Steed rang and we were having a winner versus losers competitors fight at yours, I was finally preparing myself to let my guard down. But what happened? Along came the phone call and the next day Tessa and once again my chances were gone..."

"You're being serious, aren't you?" Mike said curiously, searching her now-calming blue eyes for some sign, some clue.

"As I would be at your funeral," she responded, shuffling slightly as Mike took up a seat beside her.

"Look, Purdey. I know you'll just think I'm saying this now, but no one has ever made me feel so happy as you do; no one has ever understood everything I say and excepted it whether it was weird or not... There is no one, especially Tessa, I adore over you, ok. How you could ever have thought different, I'll never know."

Purdey didn't reply; she just sat there in silence, looking into the distance without a single emotion spread over her face. He didn't understand it; even after an argument like that and with a face so stone like, she was still far more beautiful and desirable than any girl he knew. He spent a moment to take in her radiance, albeit when she was upset, fearing deep down that this could be the last time he spent any lengthy period with her alone in the flat. He realised, after thirty seconds or so that she hadn't replied, and probably didn't intend to. This was his cue to leave; he'd tried to help, and clearly failed.

"I'll go now, Purdey-girl, but please just remember... You'll never be replaced in my heart." He said with a slight smile, pushing a wayward piece of her fringe affectionately to a position behind her ear. She didn't stir, just kept her eyes transfixed. "Ever" he completed, arising from his position and heading regretfully towards the door.

_No, this isn't right! _ Purdey told herself, watching in the mirror as the man retreated to leave. _Why can't you listen to him? Why aren't you trusting him like usual? Purdey he's leaving, and by the looks of it, he's not intending on coming back alone any time soon. You let Larry come between you; that went, but now you're putting some Tessa first? What's wrong with you? Why are you wasting chances yet again?!_

"Wait!" she called suddenly, also rising from her seat to walk over to him.

"What?"

Purdey thought for a moment, taking Mike's lapels into her hands and adjusting them like she'd done so many, many times before. It was a comforting and familiar gesture; she felt safe and she knew it.

"Tell Steed that I'll be coming tomorrow." she breathed, her aggression seeming to have dissolved, his heart pounding faster.

"To his party? But Tessa's there..." he tried, losing his voice into her blonde, silky locks; the smell enveloped him as it had done so frequently in the past and for a short while, he was too content to even think.

"Precisely; if she's going to stir us all up, what difference is another change going to make?" Purdey smiled, stepping closer to tighten the gap between them even more. "Tell him I'll come as Mr Gambit's 'plus one',"

"Really?"

"You want to, don't you?" she whispered, her lips millimetres from his own. He nodded slowly, trapped in emotion he'd never experienced before. It was exhilarating yet so frightening; but he knew that he liked it... "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow; here, five o'clock." She finished, dropping the lapels and moving back to the sofa. Mike let out the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding, stumbling mesmerised towards the door and through it once more. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was sure it was something good.

* * *

"Mike..." Purdey smiled playfully, opening her front door slowly and swinging against the frame. Her expression changed somewhat when she noticed that the person at the door was in fact not Gambit...

But Tessa.

"Oh," she stuttered startled, not knowing quite what to say but changing to stand upright instead of against the door, "It's you."

"That it is" replied the woman politely. She looked past Purdey and into the realms of her flat; she'd never seen it before, but it was nothing like she'd expected... yet then again, she only really had the two men's homes to compare it to, and they were laced with violence...

"Do you want to come in?" Purdey offered lightly, well aware that her voice had been delivered more awkwardly than she had first hoped, "I like your shoes, very nice" she continued, hoping it would somehow help the atmosphere she seemed to be bringing onto the situation.

"Only if he can come too; and why thank you" Tessa stepped aside a pace to reveal Mike, who was bounding down the steps in a rather cosy looking cardigan and trouser combination. He glimpsed partially at Tessa; her mauve dress floating oh-so delicately to the floor, confused as to how she wasn't freezing to death.

However, his glance wasn't kept there long, for it changed to the home's possessor; all clad in much more seasonal attire. Purdey wore an above-the-knee black dress, accessorised with black tights and excessively high heels. Her make-up was minimal but perfect and her hair was tied so half of it was up; _His favourite way._

"Purdey-girl!" he greeted, continuing to dart down the steps. "Tessa was having a bit of car issue so I said she could tag along with us."

"So long as I don't have to share my marshmallows" she smirked, eyeing the packet which stuck out jauntily from his pocket. He chucked it to her instinctively; a habit of the years, grinning with pleasure as she stuffed rather too many into her mouth before thinking to offer them around.

Finally Gambit was level with the two women on the doorstep, hugging his jumper against the cold. He was surprised at the effort Purdey was making at being nice to Tessa, and nodded to her to show his appreciation.

"Shall we get going? Only, I'm freezing half to death!" asked Tessa, holding herself in a position that almost mirrored Gambit.

"Oh gosh, I bet you are." Purdey replied, noticing how thin and dainty the garment of the other woman was. "You guys jump in, I'll just grab my purse."

Tessa nodded and started up the steps, well aware that Mike hadn't followed. He hadn't told her about the previous night, but the excitement in his eyes as they rounded the corner told her there was something more than friendship occurring now; but then, from the tales she'd heard, she thought it had always been that way...

"You look stunning today, honest" complimented Mike, holding a hand out to take Purdey's in his own. The gesture was awkward, but she could see he was trying to find a medium between seeming uncaring and being pushy. She decided to help him out more, pulling him closer- completely off guard- and pushing herself into the warmth of his sturdy shoulder.

"It's all going to be so different, the four of us, isn't it?" she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

"The two of us" he corrected, stroking her back soothingly, "And them; but of course it is Purdey-girl, it wasn't going to stay the same forever, was it?"

"True"

"Some of the changes are for the better" he smiled, glancing down at the big pools of light that stared back at him. He felt as her grasp on his cardigan became tighter, enclosing a bunch of the material in her iron fist.

"I'm sorry about last night; I've just been locking things up..."

"For too long," Mike finished, delicately kissing her hair for no other reason but comfort. "But we won't speak of it, not ever again, ok?"

"Thanks" she replied, pulling away gently and drying the odd tear which seemed to have escaped relatively unnoticed. "To Steed's?"

"To Steed's." He retorted, following up the steps after she'd locked her little flat up safely. She paused mid way up, turning back around to face the man. She looked at him for a while, her expression that of bemusement and awe. He wondered what thoughts must be knocking about in her mind, but concluded that they were of him as for the first time ever (minus during mouth-to-mouth practices...) her lips met his for a kiss. A brief one, but even so he could feel the blood in his body and heart begin to pump erratically and warm to over a thousand degrees. Purdey said nothing more;she just ran up the rest of the way and clambered into the passenger seat of Mike's car, before turning to face Tessa in the back.

"So, Tessa, how are you today?" she smiled sweetly, and as Gambit noticed, genuinely too.

It was going to be a massive change, and the trio would never be as intimate again; they would never be as in sync as before.

But he had the princess now, and she had the prince.

* * *

So poor, innocent Tessa is finally excepted by Purdey, and she gets the man of her dreams; despite Larry: The End. It's probably as predictable as a ticking clock, but I hope it was amusing either way...

Please leave a comment, it will be much appreciated!

And if you did like this; more is to come! (Check my stories, obviously! :] )


	4. Happy Birthday, Purdey

Happy Birthday, Purdey

(Story Four)

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

Extra notes: Another birthday featuring Purdey and Gambit... I think this would be about 1978 if it was part of the actual series, but you can place it where you like really :) It's shorter than the others, but hey, it was one of the first written, too.

* * *

Mike held the girl's waist as they swirled their way graciously across Steed's make-shift dance area. She, being an ex-dancer swayed with perfection, seemingly enjoying every second. Gambit appeared equally content to be part of the only pair left dancing, even if he wasn't quite as in time and perfect as the lady he followed. It was her birthday party and Steed had made sure that it should be to the standard she deserved- the best. The party itself wasn't his present to her though; he'd booked for her (plus the friend of her choice) to enjoy a week leave in the shopping heaven known as Paris- along with persuading an extra weeks holiday from McKay for the girl so it didn't eat into her own allowance of time off work. She had been so overwhelmed by the gift, had been so thankful, and although the great anticipation for this event lay in the back of her mind, she wanted to be nowhere but where she was at that moment. There, dancing, with _him._

"Purdey-girl, I dare say its' about time we stop dancing; we're starting to get looks." Mike noted as a man in a prim suit took one look at the pair, and then continued to discuss them with his partner. Sure, it was her party, but he'd rather not be seen as insane purely because he was dancing whilst no music played.

"Oh all right." She chirped, shaking her daydream thoughts from her mind and paying attention to the situation they were in. Mike pulled away, keeping one hand on her waist to steer her out of the room and through the front door into the cold, winter air. He placed his jacket over the confused woman so she shouldn't get too cold; her thin, lacy dress still dancing with the wind. She had no reason to ask why Mike had dragged her outside- no doubt it was to give her the birthday present she was yet to receive, so instead of questioning him, she looked up in awe of the heavy sky.

"The snow looks beautiful tonight, doesn't it, Mike?" she smiled, as a snowflake landed delicately on her nose, and another on her painted-red lips.

"Laying thick; I doubt we'll be heading home any time soon. By the time we've- well, I've- helped Steed clear up, it'll be too thick to take that out in." He gestured towards the garage, where Purdey's little yellow car stood completely oblivious to the wintery air. "But yes, it does look beautiful." He smiled as he wiped the snowflake from her nose. His touch was warm, it sent a shiver down her spine and it would usually be at that sensation she'd pull away, make a flirtatious joke and walk off in some other direction. But today it was different, she'd let Mike enjoy the moment, after all, she knew he hated to dance and he'd not even battered an eyelid when she'd asked for the dance.

"I, err got this for you. It's only small, nothing like Steed got you, but well, I err, hope you like it. I-i-if you don't then err, I'll give you the receipt or something. Obviously I hope you like it but, err-"

"Mike Gambit." warned Purdey to comfort his anxiety. She saw the little box as he pulled it from the coat pocket that was now draped over her shoulders. She took it from his clutch as he offered it to her. It didn't take her long to pull the gold ribbon from it and let the crimson paper fall to the white below her.

"Before you open it," Mike started, putting his hand on the object to stop her revealing it further more. "If you don't want to, it's the last I'll say of it, ok? I won't ask anymore."

"Alright." Purdey responded, perplexed by his outcry. She opened the box and inside was a delicate looking necklace. Amongst the thin gold chain were tiny sapphire amulets, each one individually cradled in its own bed of the yellow metal. He took it out for her, and clasped it around her neck, his breath hot on her skin and frosting to a cream cloud in the freezing air. She went to speak; even though she had no idea what to say, but was stopped as he simply pointed to the folded paper in the original box. Purdey unfolded the leaflet, and carefully read each word as to make perfect sense.

_Purdey-girl,_

_We've joked about it a lot, I've hinted more than enough times and you're a good enough friend for me to ask you this that I'm not too scared that if you say no we shouldn't avoid being friends anymore. Everyone knows I'd never let that happen. I just don't want us to be friends much longer, I've longed for some time that we should be more than that._

_Can today be 'that' day?_

_Mike Gambit._

He only ever flirted, she told herself, he didn't love her; he'd never said he had before. He meant a lot to her, and it always took a lot of pain to deny him... but did that mean she loved him? Did that mean he'd suit her? It was fair to say that she often had nightmares of dying alone; but she could guarantee a quick coffee round Gambit's the following morning would sort it all.

She'd denied him long enough; she was growing tired of doing that. And here he was admitting his feelings and leaving himself open. _Why not take a chance?_

Mike watched in despair as she turned to look away from him, away from the Stud Farm, from the party. The snow meant that the dark night seemed surprisingly bright, the fresh snow reflected by the lights of the cars, filled with guests as they left early- important meetings or jobs haunting them, telling them to go home and sleep even if they didn't want to. He waited for her to turn back around, but she didn't; so he stooped his shoulders and breathed quietly over hers.

"I'm sorry Purdey. Let's just say that never happened, you never read it. I'll never ask again I promise." He sighed, his heart aching as he did. "I'll see you inside, perhaps. Happy birthday." Mike mumbled, about to walk back towards the cheers and shouts of Purdey's party.

"You don't need to ask again."

Mike froze in his tracks. What had she said?

"Why would you ask again if I said yes?" she smirked to herself, flinging her body back around and into Gambits arms. He stumbled backwards, unable to react in time to her apparent sudden change in heart. They lay on the floor, side by side and both in hysterics; people leaving the party looking upon them with distain and disgrace. Mike followed one of the snowflakes through the air as it fell gently. He watched as it landed on her lips and smiled to himself. He couldn't have been happier and would have stayed there forever if it wasn't for him noticing Purdey's involuntary shivers.

"Come on, let's get you indoors and warm you up." He smiled, helping the woman to her feet. She took his hand and offered him his coat back, which he placed on the coat rack as the re-entered the house. He intended of guiding her towards the open fire, but Steed had caught sight of them both.

"Ah! Here she is everyone!" beamed Steed, walking over to Purdey with a cake in his grasp. She smiled back, and moved to the centre of the room with him.

She noticed that it was surrounded in marshmallows; that was good.

"Maestro; tune!" he called to the pianist, who instantly began to tap out 'Happy Birthday'. The room sang along, Purdey blushing heavily but enjoying every second of it. It was true they would never make it as a choir, but their voices sung through her head as though the sweetest she'd ever heard; one standing out in particular.

"Make a wish then!"

Purdey closed her eyes and blew out the candles; he guests roaring with cheers and glee as she did so. There was no disliking Purdey, it was almost impossible. Obviously enemies did, but other than that, she rarely caused reason for anyone to judge or hate her. This was keenly reflected in the amount of people that had turned up to celebrate her birthday; and more so by the loud cheer she received. As her eyes peeled open once again, her sight fell upon the man opposite her, his rugged face smiling back, not entirely concealing their little secret.

"Well that worked fast." She smiled, leaning forward gently towards Gambit. The guests stared anxiously as an eerie silence filled the room. No-one had ever seen Purdey be affectionate to a man before.

And to be frank, nor had she in the past eight years.

He daren't move in case he was reading the situation wrong. But he hadn't. Her lips were upon his, and he involuntarily placed his hands around her face softly as she did his. She breathed in his scent; musky, gun-oil, safety. She didn't want to pull away, but did, falling into a cuddle in his strong arms. The room fell into applause, but she had closed her eyes and become oblivious to it all.

"This is the best birthday ever." She managed to squeak out through tears. He hadn't noticed his arms becoming increasingly wet, but didn't complain as she left the embrace to grab a tissue from Steed (who was offering her a large box of the things). "Thank you, John."

"Happy Birthday, Purdey." smiled Mike with a nod as she wiped the dampness from her face. He waited for her to finish, his foot gently pounding out the beat to the music as it began again. "Will you take this dance?" he inquired, holding out his arm.

She took it gladly and led him to the centre of the room, the deep sniffs fading. There they spent the night, dancing away the best birthday Purdey could ever have wished for.

* * *

Hope you liked this short little story; please comment if you desire! Cheers for reading :'D


	5. A Holiday to Remember

A Holiday to Remember

(Story Five)

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

NOTES: Ok, so I have to admit this isn't brilliant, but it derived from one awesome day-dream and I simply had to write it out. The story itself isn't fantastic, but I really liked the concept, so I might write out the 'memory' some time :) Anyhoo, I hope you sort of enjoy it :)

* * *

Purdey hauled herself daintily up the ladder to the attic. The room itself was dark, long shadows cast across by carious objects, the light beaming up from the hall of her mother's house. Her objective was clear, set by her parent and her beloved in-law, the bishop: clear out the final box before the others arrive... and by 'others', Steed and Mike are meant. Her family knew very well by now that the relatives weren't the sort of people Purdey found sufficiently entertaining- too bland and preoccupied by boring office work et cetera. To begin, her mother tried so hard to get her to _want _to associate with them, but now, reluctantly, every BBQ would almost certainly be braced with the presence of both of Purdey's _interesting _colleagues. And best friends.

Purdey tugged on the small string attached to the light bulb- it wasn't strong enough for her liking, but she could see the box easy enough. Brushing past the odd cricket bat and hanging tutu, she managed to get hold of the cardboard object, tugging it hard and placing it on the floor with a rather cacophonous plonk. She wondered what could be in the final box; clothes? Toys? Tents? But truth- she couldn't remember at all. Her light, cotton dress floated around her as she crouched beside, her fingers gently prizing it open to reveal what may be inside.

To her surprise, the weight had been deceiving as there were only three objects concealed within the box. She plucked the first out with great care- dusting off the cobwebs in her brain and slowly beginning to remember its significance. In her grasp sprawled an old journal- perhaps fourteen, fifth teen years in age. She smiled weakly at it; her first and only completely full diary- gosh, she thought that had gone missing years ago. Purdey fumble through a few pages, eventually letting it fall apart in the middle so she could read a page at random.

August 14th 1961:

_Dear Diary,_

_Celebrating my twelfth birthday on holiday was amazing; I have had such a wonderful day with mummy and daddy. They took me to see the ballet this afternoon (albeit it was intertwined with opera, but I can live with that). I think it probably cost them a bomb- to see an actual ballet show in a seaside town, front seats and all; I think my smiles let them know how grateful I was. I hope I can be like Lizzie McBain- did I mention she was in the show- no? Oh, well, I was shocked so much when mum told me she was... I've never been so thrilled! I wanted to take my own Liz along so she could enjoy it and see why I called her so; but dad said that would be babyish for a twelve year old. And on reflection; I agree. _

_They gave me a surprise cake too, the maitre d brought it out during my meal this evening and by gosh it was so good! Although, I didn't eat much- too inspired by Lizzie to want to risk putting weight on! I felt bad that the cake must have cost them so much, but mummy knows how bad I love to dance, and they didn't seem to mind._

_Quite honestly, it would have been a perfect day; but Martin had to go back to sea again. He said they were leaving for a patrol or something and he wouldn't be back before we were en route for home once more._

_I don't think mummy was best pleased that I spent so much time with Marty this week; but I'm not one for just sitting on a beach and reading. I want to be rehearsing or exploring or whatever and fortunately so did he. I know he's sixteen but he never spoke down to me or anything like that... He's a true gentleman and says he wants to be a high rank in the navy when he's older. He's bored of being cabin boy- but I know he'll have a good profession soon; he's too determined and far too kind. Dad was impressed by him- bringing me back to the hotel and all. I know I'll read this in years to come and think I'm being all mushy, but I'm not. He's been such a wonderful friend- we're so equal and it's just so fun to be around him. _

_It was sad to say goodbye._

_But he did buy me a birthday present! He gave it to me when he was leaving for the ship, and I adore it. I'm too old for dolls but he has got for me a sort of action figurine to go with my Liz; said 'so I didn't have to be alone and bored for the rest of our holiday'. I've been playing with them all evening and Marty was so true; I haven't felt bored at all. Tomorrow I'm taking them surfing- they'll like that. _

_Anyway, mummy took a photo of me and Marty and got them printed in the shop before he left. She gave us both a copy so we can always remember each other. Dad said I should put it in the figure's shirt he got me, and not take it out until I see Marty again- if I ever do. I thought that seemed a pretty interesting idea- so I've done just that!_

_I hope I see him again, he's much more interesting than all the girlie girls at school; I know I'm into ballet but that's as far as it goes for me!_

_Anyway, until tomorrow, diary ol' chum!_

"Found anything interesting?" came a voice from behind her. Purdey snapped her head around to let her eyes fall upon a smiling Mike Gambit. His hands were clutched casually behind his back; his grin genuine and his legs a steady distance apart. "An old love letter?"

Purdey shock her head in annoyance to the man, deeming him not worthy even a response. She let the diary fall back to the floor, delving once again into the box and pulling out the two, well loved toys. Her eyes glowed.

"What are they?" Mike inquired, squatting next to the woman kindly.

"Old toys." She replied with a great grin, "my favourite two... they meant a lot to me in my youth." Gambit gave Purdey a look of confusion; intrigue hoping that she would explain more of their significance. She saw his face, and decided for once, that she would oblige to one of his wishes. To be fair, they weren't usually that _decent. _

"This one, Liz, mum gave me when I was about ten, I guess. And this one" Purdey began, passing the other doll to Mike to observe, "was given to me on my twelfth birthday by a boy called Marty... I never saw him again- but he was a good friend at the time."

There was a small pause; Purdey was thinking.

"I suppose you could say he was my first love."

"oh Purdey!" smirked Mike, his voice that of teasing. Purdey confessing to having loved someone was bizarre to him... blimey- it would be bizarre to anyone! But his smirk wasn't just one of teasing... it was one of a distant memory, too. "I um... never knew you cared."

Another pause.

"What?" came a slightly blushing, perplexed reply.

"Oh come on Purdey-girl... you're an agent now- piece it together. Marty Graham; navy boy... Mike Gambit; ex-navy boy."

"And I suppose you think I'm going to believe you?" Purdey scoffed, not letting him on to how in fact it did rather make sense to her.

"I can prove it." He smiled, opening his wallet which had been stored in his back pocket. He took out a small, crumpled photo, and thrust it into her open hand. "The photo."

"The... photo." Purdey breathed, staring at the image with complete disbelief. "You're Marty?"

"And you're Purdey... and this has been in my wallet waiting for the day you'd finally figure it all out." Mike continued to explain as Purdey proceeded to peel the t-shirt from her old, beloved doll. To her shock, and slight dwindling amusement, the folded photo in her left hand was the same as the one Gambit had only just given her. The woman was unsure how to react, dropping his copy of the photograph and letting it float to the floor. She traced Marty's face delicately before turning to Mike and tracing the familiar line for herself. She let her hand fall, staring at the man in front of her for a small time, remembering that week from a thousand years ago.

And then she hugged him.

"Why did you never say before" she inquired through sniffs of tears. He warmly stroked her back, trying to soothe her little moment of overwhelm.

"I hoped you would figure it yourself, I suppose. It was easy for me; there aren't many young ladies called Purdey around nowadays" he stopped, pausing from his kindly action, "Besides, I thought you'd have forgotten."

"Forgotten?" she snorted instead of sniffed. "You made that holiday for me... Why you chose to spend time with me I'll never know."

"You were bored and so was I; it was the only logical answer." He smiled, pulling Purdey to arms length and softly wiping away a tear. "At least you remember me now, Purdey-girl."

"I'm not sad, just... shocked, I suppose." She pulled away further still, allowing herself a proper look of the man. How she had never put two and two together before, she simply didn't understand. "Thank you" she breathed, taking her now free hands in his. She turned them over, plucking up the doll he had once brought for her and putting it into his grasp. "I called him Marty, by the way." She smirked, taking Liz into her hands.

Mike regarded the toy in his hands with awe, the time he walked into the store to buy it himself waving along in his mind. I childish urge began to trickle within him as he toyed with the thing... if only Purdey felt the same.

"Fancy a... toy race?"

"Think you can win?" she grinned back to the man.

"I like my chances." He smirked. They stared at each other with sneaky smiles on their faces, before eventually both deciding to sprint without warning.

Mike was first to the hatch, making the little figure run along the floor- Liz in short tail. But before he could head down, Purdey grasped his arm with her hand, tugging him back.

He looked at her, startled. This was a race; one didn't simply _stop_ a race.

"I've wanted to do this since I was twelve." She breathed, leaning forward and plucking a small kiss from his lips.

"So have I; since sixteen" he replied, admittedly startled. They looked at each other for a long time, Purdey taking her hand in his once again. He nodded slowly back at her, and without more of a warning, the race continued. True, hand in hand it was more of a chase than a race, but with the toys in their clutch, they both still intended on winning... how could they lose?

Steed took the glass that Purdey's mother offered him on entering their house. He tilted his bowler in respect and thanks, moving into the drawing room where some jolly tunes echoed from the piano. "You know, her and Mr Gambit are both irreplaceable" he continued of their conversation, having sipped from the fine drink he'd been offered. He approved of it largely. He opened his mouth to continue further still, when both his and the woman's eyes fell upon the most bemusing sight. A man and a woman, both with children's dolls in their hands trampled down the stairs; both grinning and pushing each other, despite the fact they were already joined by their hands. They smiled more as they saw Steed, but followed their trail still, jumping over their finish line and falling to the conservatory floor. "...irreplaceable." repeated John, shaking his head at them in mock disapproval.

Time could never change them, even if it tried.

* * *

Et fini! As I warned, not brilliant, but I hope you at least liked the sort of idea- I wanted to cross the idea of Mike's Navy roots and Purdey's little ballet stint and thought this would work out kind of ok :) Leave a comment (negative or positive... I don't mind xD) if you wish :) Thank you :3 x


	6. A Terrible Kangaroo

But A Terrible Kangaroo

Story 6

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

Notes: This one is a bit weird; it was going to just be a light, humorous piece, but then it sort of trickled its way into becoming what it wanted to be. Steed is only mentioned in this I'm afraid, it really is just Purdey, Mike and her mother- but I hope its entertaining anyway:)

Anyhoo, I'll leave you to read and pass your own judgement!

* * *

Purdey glared back at the phone beside her bed. Head in hand, she rolled her eyes in exasperation: her mother was up to it again, another one of those "he'd make a darling date, my dear, do turn up!" occasions. Worse still, she couldn't even attempt to make her excuses as the 13th May was her father's birthday, and 13th May just happened to be the day of the said occasion. _Well planned, mother. _ Purdey's mother made a thing of never making the new-gentleman a main feature of the invite, and that somewhat wound the girl up more so. Perhaps it would be less aggravating if the phone call simply consisted of "Darling, there's a lovely man you MUST meet. Do come Saturday?" rather than the elongated list of all that should turn up, why she should feel so inclined to arrive herself, and then after a trip round the houses- the extra information at the end "Oh, and Mr BlahBlah will come too, my dear!" Purdey growled to herself. _Why again, mother?_

Why couldn't her mother work out for herself that match-making Purdey was never going to work; she was her own woman now, not the confused Ballet-kick-out she was of eight years previously? She had her own life now; a flat, a job, bills, friends. She didn't need the mollycoddling she did those years ago. Purdey was a strong individual, and was most certainly NOT going to be a Mrs Booker, as her mother's latest suitor would so call her. It wasn't uncommon to be her age and single anymore: if anything, in her profession, it was the norm. But her mother simply would not accept it, and would most likely continue to press until the day she died, or found a suitor of her own at the least.

Wait.

Could that be it?

Purdey sprung to her feet, not bothering to change, only just venturing to put on sturdy foot wear. She knew where to go. There was someone _perfect_ for her plan...

vvvvvv

_RIIINNNG _pause *tap tap* pause _RIIIINNNG _pause *tap tap* pause _RIIIINNG _pause *tap tap*...

"What?! Do you know what time it is?" An incredibly huffy, and somewhat sleepy, Mike Gambit hauled his front door open. Coffee in hand, he gaped at Purdey, her pyjamas ruffled by her jog round to his flat, the outdoor boots not entirely matching the satin blue clothes she wore. "Purdey?" he mumbled in confusion, rubbing his eyes to rid of the sleepy gaze. "Are you ok?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" A long arm folded between another, sitting comfortably on her chest. Her head tilted into the doorframe, a thin smile on her face.

"It's just you're ..." he gave up. This was Purdey. "Do you want to come in?"

"Ah now, that depends." She retorted, keeping up the smile.

"On?" he inquired reasonably, taking a sip from his cup.

She smirked.

"Whether you'll be my fiancé or not."

Her face was sprayed with coffee.

Vvvvvvv

"So let me get this straight," Mike began, a scotch in one hand, his other examining the cracker ring Purdey had plonked into it, "you want me to be your fiancée for the night so your mother won't match-make you... Can't I just be a boyfriend or something? I mean, I have nothing _against_ being your fiancée; in fact, if you want to exercise some of the perks, I'm all yours..."

She shot him a warning look, he smirked.

"... or not. I can't keep coming with you Purdey, and you can barely pretend we've broken up or she'll match-make you further."

"I can just make up excuses. So long as I have a ring on my finger she'll lay off badgering me. Honestly Gambit, I thought you'd jump at a chance to get an arm around my waist, the way you go on."

He looked to where she sat on his sofa-bed, wandering across to join her from the kitchen. "You mean I could, you know?"

"To an extent," she added more seriously, allowing Gambit to know there were still boundaries "but we'd have to make this believable. You didn't truly think I'd ask something like this of you without there being a perk, did you?"

"Ah but the perk usually is the Purdey," he flattered nonchalantly, she sighed- more groaned really, but she wasn't annoyed. "So what are the perks then?" he tried again, a sense of faux seriousness washing the scene.

Purdey appeared to be in thought. She studied the top corner of the flat, her nose wrinkled and chewing her lip: _what would persuade Michael A Gambit?-_(apart from the obvious.)

"Apart from what you're thinking." She began, shooting him a knowing look, "I'd say it's up to debate."

"So I can suggest anything?" His eyebrows wavered slightly. Purdey noticed, said nothing, and nodded. "A kiss?"

"Well obviously," she replied, her arms folded and shaking her head slightly. "If we want mother to believe us at all, we've got to make it feasible." Mike looked hopeful. "But just the one kiss, mind. And while mother is watching- you know how, well- you know why I can't indulge in this sort of stuff."

A woeful looked sped through Purdey's sapphire pools; only briefly, but Mike noticed. He knew what she meant too, she meant Larry. LARRY. He hated that name, hated it passionately ever since she'd sat him down and explained _why_ she wasn't upset or angry with him for killing the said man. She was just overwhelmed at the time, he knew that now, but at the time... well, he thought that was the end of everything.

"Just one," he assured, breaking his own angered thoughts, "Just the one _and_ holding-of-hands"

Purdey glanced at him thoughtfully. "No, no mother wouldn't buy that; she knows I'm against that sort of thing."

"Are you?" Mike looked puzzled. Who had anything against holding hands?

"It's so corny. If a man wants to show a room _he's _with her, then he should do it properly, not all 'oohh look at us- reciprocating love and all'" A manicured finger-nail hit his chest, prodding him. "I... I am not a corny sort of woman."

"Well I know that" he winked. "What do you suggest then?" he inquired with more serious eyes.

"Arm around the waist, something like that"

Mike tapped his glass, pondering, smirking. "Well well, could we be seeing a romantic side to Purdey-girl?"

"Gambit..."

"Hey," his eyes widened with his revolution, Purdey's head slid into her hands. "Maybe this could be it; this is your little way of letting me know how you feel."

"Gambit..."

"It's alright, I understand, I won't make it any harder for you... it's enough for you to confess love as it is... Just the one date, all I ask."

"Gambit; you're doing me a favour. It is NOT a date." She warned, glaring-albeit softly- at the man. "I'm letting you have a little leeway to make things fair; don't push boundaries."

"Run them past me again, Purdey-girl?" he inquired, enthused by his new delusion.

_This was a bad idea. A very bad idea._

* * *

_Breathe in, breathe out, rest, repeat. Breathe in, Breath out, rest, repeat. _

Purdey tapped on the door to her mother's cottage, her ears struggling to identify any singular movements from the cacophonous roar developing within. They weren't late, but by the sounds of it, not the first to arrive either. Gambit stood beside her, his woolly cardigan and brown trousers well suited to the cool weather which had enveloped the spring. Purdey's little purple dress and sandals however, were not. She glanced down to her hand, the fake engagement ring balancing just about on her finger- it was Mike's lucky ring and several sizes too big. It would be a challenge to keep it on, but it was better than the cracker ring she'd presented him with earlier. Mike gave her a weary, but comforting look as he heard the door begin to creak open.

"Showtime." He whispered, placing an arm around Purdey's waist. It was a bit low, but she couldn't argue as her mother had caught sight of them now, thrusting the door open with joyous reams of energy.

"Purdey!" exclaimed the woman, stepping forward to peck both cheeks of her daughter, "And Oh, Mr Gambit; it's a delight to see you again!"

"Purdey told me I simply had to come" he shot the said woman a 'caring' look, thrusting his hand out to shake the mother's. "And I can barely go against her now, can I?"

"My dear man, nobody can" Tessa smiled, breaking her hand away and placing on Purdey's shoulder, Gambit was just the friend; she wanted her daughter to meet the more-than. "now, my child, I must introduce you to Mr Harper. Such a lovely man- do come!"

Purdey sighed, exasperated. Did her mother have tunnel vision or something?

"Purdey," Mike called, grabbing her arm as her mother lead her away. Both turned to look. He froze. Now what? "Weren't you going to erm," THINK. QUICK, DARN IT. "Give us a tour?"

"oh-h, yes, yes I did." She stuttered, _thank you, Mike_ "Might as well know your way around sooner than later." Purdey continued, gaining more confidence with his little idea.

"Tessa, do you suppose Mr Harper could spare Purdey a little while longer?" Gambit inquired, stepping forward so he could be closer to his, um, fiancée.

She nodded, but looked rather unconvinced, "As you please, but don't be long." She replied to Gambit; she often struggled to find the effort to be kind to the man- always with her, but never _with _her. It was obviously his fault. Tessa turned to her daughter, "But my darling, please don't be too long. Mr Harper is very anxious to get to know you better."

"I bet he is," Mike scoffed, reaching out to take Purdey's hand, his intention to drag her away and out of the sight of her mother for as long as possible. But it was Purdey's reluctance to hold a hand that prompted what happened. He took her hand, but she pulled away, his fingers brushing over hers, catching the oversized ring and dragging it along. It fell to the floor with a thud, and Tessa looked back. Startled.

"W-w-what finger did that fall off from?" Tessa began, struggling to let her mind catch up, "What finger?" she was almost demanding now, and Gambit took Purdey by the waist, more for support than their little facade. He kept his arm in place, bending down to pluck the little object back into his grasp, noting Purdey's 'this-is-harder-than-I-thought-it-would-be' face.

"Here," he smiled sweetly, ignoring the pressure he felt from Tessa's eyes which bore into his skin. Giving Purdey a nod, a way for him to tell her 'he'd got this', he took up her left hand, gently sliding the ring back onto her finger and then kissing her knuckles. She smiled a small, secretive smile back, _thank you._ "We need to get that re-sized tomorrow; you shouldn't have worn it, you might lose it."

"I wanted to," she began, lifting her eyes to meet his. They were so steel green, so warm, so familiar. Here he was yet again, round what- 103? Saving Purdey from something or other, protecting her, being there. He didn't have to come, he never had to come; but he always did, more faithful than the dutiful Labrador. There was something behind those eyes that she longed to know more about- not his secret past, that was his and his alone, but something else... something deeper. She reached up a hand to pull at his tie, straightening it with what appeared to both a surprised Gambit and Tessa, as genuine affection. _It's just acting;_ she told herself, but she wasn't the only one who knew she was lying there.

"Purdey, I demand you tell me what's going on here!" Tessa's voice broke Purdey's trance; she snapped back from her little visions and to the task in hand. She was Gambit's fiancée. _FAKE_ fiancée. _Fake _fiancée. Nothing more, she didn't want anything like that anyway. Did she? Maybe... No. Not after what happened last time. It's just acting. _Fake fiancée._

_Breathe in, breathe out, rest, repeat._

"We're engaged, Tessa" stated Mike on the woman's behalf. She looked so peculiar to him now, she was with them, but thinking. Thinking deep and breathing. She always spaced out when they went to her mothers, always; he'd kill to know why, but he supposed he never would. "We're engaged, but the ring is still too big. It was my lucky one and well- why should I need luck if I have her?" He grinned as any expecting fiancée would, but as Tessa went to reply with some quip about being startled, a hand was stuck out to greet Mike, and another figure appeared into their circle.

"Oh hello; you must be Mr Gambit?" the stranger shook his hand, "and you; ah- yes, now you must be the divine daughter that Tessa has told me so much about. Name's Harper; Nicholas Harper, and I look forward to hearing more about you." The stranger went to take Purdey's hand to conclude his sauve greeting, but was struck down by a rather feisty tap from Tessa.

"Oh honestly, Nicholas, can't you see we were in the middle of a very important conversation?" she glared at the man, lifting a finger to jab him in the chest, (mother like daughter, Gambit thought) "And introducing yourself like that to an engaged woman, I beg of you." She spat, seemingly disgusted, _was she believing them? _"Now you've said what you needed, and you're clearly not wanted, so would you kindly, piss off?!"

Gambit and Purdey stared. Nicholas ran promptly away.

on the match-making scoreboard, Mike treated himself to a smirk.

"I'm just going to my room for a moment," said Purdey suddenly, breaking the silence, "I won't be too long; just want to freshen up before the tour and dinner." She smiled, pecked Gambit's cheek and floated off. She wasn't going to freshen up: Gambit wasn't an idiot. Something was bugging her, something about this day, and he was damned if he wasn't going to find out what he could do to help. Purdey distressed was almost as gut wrenching as Purdey sad. He glanced to Tessa and she nodded for him to follow; perhaps she could tell something wasn't quite right either, perhaps that was why she had dismissed that Harper fellow.

Gambit followed after Purdey, knocking gently on her bedroom door. Part of him thought perhaps she wouldn't open it, but she did, even if it was only to let him in. He took in the small room, having never been allowed in before. The room had clearly been redecorated since Purdey had left those years ago. It wasn't the fairyland he'd seen from the pictures in her childhood album she'd let him look at one time. Then it was pink, white flowing curtains and paisley cushions. The walls had been adorned by posters and photographs of her mother and father and uncle Elly; not to mention the countless pieces of ballet art strung up. Now it was different; creams and browns with the odd photo of her mother with the bishop, one of her father with uncle Elly and another of her with Steed and Mike himself. It was a peaceful room, but it wasn't as happy as it had once been.

"I dare say, Purdey-girl, you finally let me into your bedroom" he winked, stalking over to the bed to take a seat, tapping the space beside him. She utilised the mentioned area, but only so she could rest her weary head on him. He looked down, surprised.

"Not now." She replied calmly but dismissively. Now apparently wasn't the time for his jokes, so he made sure he'd clam up.

"So what is up then? What's all this about?" he let his hand stroke her arm, something he'd never dare do in a normal circumstance, but Purdey wasn't acting normally, so he thought he'd ought to comfort. Comfort Purdey. He'd never thought he'd need to comfort Purdey outside of injuries.

"You wouldn't understand," she began with a sigh. Mike looked to protest, but she stopped him, a finger on his lips. "No, no maybe you would. Maybe that's what all this is about."

He looked down to her confused. She pulled away from his cuddle.

"Come with me" Purdey got up and held out a hand; Mike looked at it suspiciously, remaining seated.

"Purdey-girl, you don't like holding hands" he stated, not unkindly, remembering their conversation from those two weeks previously.

"This is different, I'm leading you somewhere" he still looked resided, "please?"

He sighed and got up, taking Purdey's hand in his. She took her shoes off, so he followed her lead, the cream shag rug soft against his cashmere socks. She didn't take him far, only to the other side of the room to what he thought to be a large cupboard. Purdey bent down and plucked a small key from her sock, thinking nothing of it but amusing Mike.

"Is that where you keep all your keys?" he quipped, and despite herself, she smiled back.

"Only the ones I don't want anyone to get" she put the key in the lock, turned it, and began to push the door. "I want you to know, that apart from me, you're the only one to come in here in eight years." She opened the door properly, held a hand out to usher him in "even my mother hasn't been in... well, that I know of."

"I'm honoured you should let me" he nodded, and walked where she lead.

On entering the room, Purdey tugged at a little light cord, and the small space lit up. She closed the door behind herself, taking back the key so they could let themselves out. Mike however, paid no intention to whatever she was doing; he was too engulfed by this secret world he'd just been allowed into. He didn't need to ask; he knew where he was.

This was the hidden world of Purdey that had kept her away from him. And she was finally letting him in.

It was a tiny box room; maybe at one time it was a walk-in-wardrobe, but a tiny one. Somewhere for her to store all her costumes, like it was now. To his left and right were two clothes racks, each filled with tutus and masks and tights and fluffy feather boaters alike, all gathering dust like it was nobody's business. At the other end of the room was a little dressing table, surrounded by little fairy lights that had sparked to life when Purdey had pulled the cord. There were only three things on it though: A mirror, _the _photo and _the_ dress. Gambit gulped. A wedding dress. He was out of his league now.

"Purdey, you don't have to do this..." he began, well aware of her presence behind him. She wandered past and took a seat at the dressing table, picking at the fabric of the dress. The cotton, such a thin lace, pale running through her fingers.

"I do. I owe you an explanation; why I act like I do, when _you're _here" She looked at his face through the reflection in the mirror, saw the confusion turn to an "o", and beckoned for him to stand closer, He did just that. "Feel this," she smiled placidly, lifting the skirt of the wedding dress, "Feel it. Tell me what you think."

"Its, um soft" he mumbled, unsure and somewhat frightened by this Purdey he was with. They'd had many serious conversations before, but this, this was new.

"Anything else?" she pressed, her words gentle but he couldn't help but note the small quavering towards the end.

"It's pretty; quite fairy-princess."

"That was me. I was the fairy princess; the ballet fairy princess. The perfect life to make the perfect wife to the perfect man." She lifted the photo for Mike to see, but he couldn't look, not now, not ever. He could never look at a man he had killed, especially when the subject had been so close to Purdey. "This was him, Mike, that one I just said about. The perfect man. Look at him, you have to admit it too; he looks like someone from the television- a fine figure with a good career. You can't deny that."

Mike shook his head. He agreed, but for her sake only. He hated Larry.

"But you already know he wasn't perfect. And that day, that day it all ended, I came here, not home. I had to see, had to see what he'd done. I came straight into here, my little dressing room and sat as I am right now. Mother came up and stood where you are too. His ring had caught me, just here." Purdey took Mike's hand into her own, lifting it to touch her cheek, his ring still balancing on that finger. She pressed his own finger against a slight raised bump. He'd never noticed it before; you wouldn't to look at her, but there was definitely a small scar- tiny as it was. "His ring caught me a little. Can you feel that?"

Mike nodded, and she let his hand drop back to his side.

"I always feel funny when I come here with you because of that day. I start off fine, but then I only have to look at those eyes and I feel tears in my own. When I'm here, I'm reminded stronger than ever that I _can't _have you; but you're only ever here to make me happy, to help me, to comfort me."

"You mean..."

"I mean, I walk into this house, this room and everything I pushed away comes hurtling back. And today, with your ring on my finger- albeit a facade and I heard the level of genuine in your voice when you told my mother you didn't need luck because you had me..." A single tear lead many others, and soon Gambit was crouched on the floor to her level, a hand on either shoulder. He'd meant it when he said that, and he was glad Purdey knew.

"Hey, come on. What's happened to my brave Purdey-girl? You don't want me to tell the Ministry you're weak now, do you?" Her big blue eyes looked up at him, but then away again as another wave of racking tears fled from their ducts. He pulled into a hug this time, he knew she needed it. "Come on, there's no point crying over this, we can talk all about it down stairs, or at your flat or mine. There's no point battering yourself up over it here." He soothed softly, his hands gently rubbing her back, pulling her closer with each hiccup.

"I'm so sorry..." she breathed through a cry, hands clenching the soft material of his woolly cardigan.

"For what?"

"For making you see me like this."

"You needed to tell me, get it off your chest. I'm glad you did, Purdey-girl" He smiled sweetly, brushing a stray hair out from her eyes. "It's what friends are for."

"But that's just it. I don't want to be your friend." Her hand came up to wipe the tears, red eyes meeting his calm ones. They locked, she sniffed, grabbing at his lapels to stable herself. "I want to be more." But then she sighed, and the sigh turned into a hiccup, and the hiccup into another wave of hysterical tears. "But I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't."

"You can and you will. One day, just not right now. You need time; you've had some but you need a little more. And help, which I can give. Starting with..." Gambit rose from his squat, easing Purdey up from her seat and guiding her out of the room by her waist. _Don't hold her hand._ He locked the door on the way out of Purdey's little dressing room, keeping the key in his hand firmly as he led her towards the window.

"What are you doing..?" Purdey stammered as he threw open the great sash, letting the cool air bellow into the room.

"This." He smiled back, taking her hand and placing the key in it. His hand curled on top of hers, the little silver object sealed in their joint grasp. His arm took lead, and soon their hands were out of the window and he counted her in. "One, two , three." On three, they simultaneously let go and the key dropped down and out of view. They both stood, staring out of the window, Purdey's tears slowing, but her body still heaving. Mike placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her back out from the room to stand on the landing. Purdey shut the door behind them. "It'll be easier now. I promise." He soothed, using his thumb to wipe away her streaked mascara. "You need to forget that to move on, it's the only way."

"What if I never move on; I don't think I can, Gambit, I've tried too many times before."

"You will, we will. But we need time, not just you. This is our problem now; you're not facing it alone anymore. We'll get you through this, ok?" she looked unsure. "Ok?"

* * *

"You decent?" called Mike, his back to the beaded curtain of Purdey's bedroom.

"Yes, it's fine; you can come through." She shouted back from the bathroom, opening and making her way through to greet him.

"Darn. Was hoping to catch you otherwise" he smirked, catching her elbow as she walked from the shower and into the bedroom. He looked down and smirked at her dressing gown; Purdey noticed that without fail. "Maybe if I pull at this lovely sash here..."

"Don't you dare" she warned, a smirk on her face, tapping his hand away. "Or you'll live to regret it."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I can't stay long anyway; I've got to see Mark at eleven."

"And he takes precedence over me? Gambit, I didn't know you cared..."

"I'm doing this for us remember?" he frowned, reaching out to take her hand which was idly fumbling with the fluffy sash. "Which brings me back to why I'm here. They called to say it was ready, so I thought I'd deliver it myself."

Purdey's smiled turned to a beam, and she sat back enthused onto the bed. Mike's eyes glowed much as hers were; glistening with the amusement of seeing Purdey perk up so considerably.

"Shall I do it properly?" he inquired, smirking still. She nodded gleefully and he sighed. _I could have sworn she says she wasn't corny..._ "Alright then,"

He stepped over to be facing her again, keeping a hand in his. She looked up at him from where she sat, waiting for it to happen; it was going to happen; it had to happen. Here came Round Two.

Mike knelt unto one knee, too lithe to need the support of the bed frame or a hand to sturdy him. He was still only 36, and a legend among the new Ministry members.

"Purdey- girl," she blushed, cheeks heating, eyes sparkling, "Will you accept this ring as a pledge for me to be insufferable with you forever?"

She'd been expecting it. She knew it was coming soon; they'd talked so much about it, planned it, she'd chosen the ring. But now it had happened, he'd asked, and she had to react.

From his trouser pocket Mike plucked the little box, opening it to show what it held within. One male pinky ring, re-sized for an engagement ring. It wasn't what many women would choose, but this was Purdey, and the ring being once Mike's, meant more to her than any diamond. He was waiting for a reply, half worried with the late reply. Was she having second doubts? Now there was a ring, was it too serious? Was it too much like what happened with... he gulped, Larry?

The truth was, she didn't even think of that name; not when Mike asked, not when she eventually nodded and watched as he slid the ring onto her finger. It was official, she would marry Mike Gambit and...

A warm nudge hit her inside; unpleasant, but not excessively so. She knew what it was and didn't mind it being there. It wasn't anxiety or fear, love or amusement. It was something completely different, something much more solid.

"Mike, give me your hand" she ordered, leaning briskly forward and grabbing it without given permission. The sash was undone and thrown aside, revealing Purdey's cream night gown, and his hand placed delicately onto her stomach. "There!" she smirked after a while, "And again, did you feel it?"

"I did" he exclaimed, eyes glowing, "Finally!" he leant over from his crouching position to kiss he fiancée, feeling the odd kick with his hand, eyes widening every time. They'd waited for that for some time now, but he'd always been out working or she'd in the office running through Steed's files to keep her busy. But now they both felt it, the same time, together; and as Purdey broke her lips from Mike's to look down, she realised something rather wonderful.

There was Mike, feeling their child kicking, her hand over his, adorned by an engagement ring.

He'd kept his promise, he had moved her on.

"I'll go and see Mark," he began, standing back up but keeping his gaze fixed on her, "But when I'm back, we'll go for lunch, somewhere nice; celebrate this being all official now."

"Are you sure we can afford it though; we're on good wages but three flats and a baby..."

"One flat, a Chelsea house and a baby" Mike corrected, placing a hand on her cheek "I saw your face when you laid your eyes on that house Purdey girl. I think I can live without the flat if just to see that face again".

"But Gambit, Ministry rules" she spluttered, shocked by the news. _The house, he was buying the house?_

"I asked McKay and I have to register it as my permanent occupancy. Steed saw to it that I could be trusted. I think he worked it under a sort of package deal- Child, occupancy and wife. I've been checked and so have you; we're good to go, Purdey-girl" he realised he addressed her singularly, "and little Purmit, of course."

"Purmit?" eye brows waggled at Mike, he smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead before wandering off.

"Better than Gamdey" he called through, opening the front door and letting himself out.

Purdey, alone, looked to the ring on her finger. They'd done it, actually done it.

Maybe the ring was lucky.

Or maybe Mike was just a wonderful human being.

_But a terrible kangaroo._

She smiled, walked to the wardrobe and thrust it open. The clothes which still fit were decreasing in number, but she knew she could find something somewhere. It was their celebratory lunch; and a reason to dress up.

* * *

I know, PREDICTABLE. Sorry guys )': x


End file.
